Jamaican Steel Cut Oats

I can't believe the 4th of July has come and gone and summer is in full swing!  I've made my first batch of Lemongrass Tea and I am loving all the yummy summer foods.  We move in two weeks and I've been going through piles left and right.  I came across some old food magazines I saved with recipes I wanted to try.  One of them looked so good I tried it the next morning and have since made it three times. The last recipe I posted had coconut in it and the next recipe I plan to post (get excited for it!) has coconut in it as well.  Therefore, I must share what I always think of when I use coconut. Pina Coladas you ask?  Nope.  A Kenny Chesney song?  Negative.  Me in Hawaii wearing a coconut bra and hula dancing?  That's a scary thought for numerous reasons. 

I'll give you a hint...

"I don't like coconuts."

 

"You don't like coconuts?"

 

"Say, brainless, don't you know where coconuts come from?"

 

"Look here... from Tahiti, Fiji Islands, the Coral Sea!"

 

 

If you aren't sure what I'm quoting, here's a ginormous hint via two still shots from the movie.

 

 

 



 

I mean, I even put the quotes in red and green to help you out!  If you STILL don't know what I think of by now when I cook with coconut you need to quit reading my blog.  You should not return to my blog until you go watch only the greatest Christmas movie of all time: It's a Wonderful Life.  George is scooping Mary some ice cream in the second picture and they share this conversation about coconuts.  Kind of ridiculous that I always think of this scene, but hey, if it reminds me of Christmas in the summertime I'll take it!  Oh, and in case you're wondering, 15 more days until Christmas in July and 167 days until Christmas!

 

Yes, yes, I know, get to the recipe.  I love oatmeal, particularly, steel cut oats.  I love making pumpkin steel cut oats and actually made that recipe a month or so ago even though it's not pumpkin season.  Yes, I live dangerously like that.  This recipe fits into summertime much better than pumpkin and is pretty easy to assemble.  (Especially if you cook the steel cut oats the night before)

 

 

Jamaican Steel Cut Oats

6 servings (or 4 large ones) :)

 

Ingredients

1 C. steel cut oats

4 T. maple sugar flakes* (or 100% pure maple syrup to taste)

6 T. milk, warmed (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk)

1/2 C. banana, chopped

1/2 C. fresh pineapple, diced

1/3 C. unsweetened shredded coconut

2 T. sliced almonds, toasted

 

Bake oats according to package directions.  Stir in maple sugar flakes or syrup and milk.  Add banana and pineapple and stir.  Place in serving bowls and top with coconut and almonds. 

 

If you are not serving several people and plan to have leftovers I recommend only placing bananas, pineapple, coconut and almonds on what you plan to eat.

 

 

 

*Maple sugar flakes...don't feel like you need to go buy them just for this recipe.  Why do I have them?  I found a recipe a few years ago I wanted to try that called for some.  Naturally, I thought it was appropriate to spend THIRTEEN dollars for an ingredient like this in a new recipe.  (What was I thinking?!)  Anyway, that recipe was horrible and it's been sitting in my spice cabinet untouched since that failed recipe.  I'm sure the reason I flagged the Jamaican Steel Cut Oats recipe in the magazine was to make myself feel better by using some more of the maple flakes.  If you do want to buy some I saw them on Amazon.com and Williams Sonoma.  However, if you use maple syrup, which I did one time and used 4 T., it tastes almost the same!

 

Enjoy!

 



Chia Pudding

I'd like to introduce you to the latest menu item that is a constant in my fridge this summer.  Say hello to chia "pudding".

I love it because I snack in between each meal.  That's no problem as long as I snack healthy and I'm always looking for new foods to fill me up.  This fits that criteria perfectly.  It's great for breakfast too...actually, I think that's what it was designed for and I've certainly used it as my breakfast.  Then, I eat it again that afternoon.  It's a win-win!

I first became extremely interested in chia seeds after watching a documentary.  Truthfully, I can't remember which one, but I think it was Hungry for Change.  Before I watched it, I had chia seeds in my pantry and would use them in different things, but I never fully understood the benefits.  Beyond the fact they are full on yummy stuff for our bodies, Hungry for Change gave this lovely visual of how chia seeds, when added to moisture, get sticky.  (You'll notice that if you make this recipe) Therefore, as they move through your intestines/colon they cleanse you out because they can "grab" on to the walls of your insides and help clean you out.  Now, with that picture in your head you're ready to make this and eat, right?  
 

I saw this the other day online and thought it would help tell you more about chia seeds:

As always, I think Trader Joe's is the cheapest and best place to buy chia seeds.  

However, you should be able to find them at any health store.  I ran out of my Trader Joe's bag and found some in Wichita at one of our health food stores, Natural Grocers.  I got a large bag (about double the size of the TJ's one) for $9 and it will last a long time, so they are pretty cheap.

As for the coconut milk, you can find that at the grocery store.  I found mine at Dillon's in the health food section by the almond milk.  (Not the refrigerated kind, although I think now they are starting to make refrigerated coconut milk as well.) 

                                               

 

 

Don't forget to make sure you get unsweetened coconut milk so there's no added sugar.  Also, check for organic and the blue NON GMO on the box as well.

As for the coconut, the recipe calls for sweetened, but I keep unsweetened at my house because once again, sweetened means they add sugar to it.  It tastes just fine!  One of these days, I'm going to buy some liquid stevia because I find so many recipes that call for it.  However, I used honey and I've enjoyed this breakfast/snack tremendously so why change it? 

Mango Coconut Chia "Pudding" 
Recipe from: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/06/mango-coconut-chia-pudding.html

 Ingredients:

1/2 cup lite coconut milk
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (I always have vanilla flavor and that was perfect for this)
3/4 cup fresh ripe champagne mango, diced
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp sweetened shredded coconut (I say UNSWEETENED) 
4-6 drops Nu-Naturals liquid stevia (or sugar/honey to taste) I added 1 1/2-2 T. of honey.

Mix all ingredients together, place in a container with a lid, and store in refrigerator 5-6 hours or overnight.

*I have found it works best to put it in a smaller container with a lid.  It will expand a little as it thickens, but not too much.  I put it it in a large bowl with a lid once and it was too thin and spread out so it did not get very thick. 

Hope you like this delicious, healthy, perfect for summer dish!  Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal

Any recipe that has peanut butter or pumpkin in it and looks remotely healthy, I give a try! This one has been on my list of recipes to test out since January.  My mom sent me an email from a website, http://ohsheglows.com/, which is a blog with all vegan recipes.  In January the blog posted the top vegan recipes from 2012.  This recipe was on it and it had ingredients in it that I knew I would have on hand.  Yes, it's now April and I finally got around to making it yesterday for breakfast.  I love oatmeal, so it's not difficult to please me, but I've never been able to master blending in peanut butter.  (Such a shame, I know)  Look no further, this is a perfect recipe for a wonderful, and most important, thick, bowl of oatmeal.  (Nobody likes thin, soupy, oatmeal.  It's what kept me from eating oatmeal as a kid.  And, to think, I've only spend the last couple years of my life enjoying this healthy, all natural food.  Tragic, I know.)

Anyway, a few simple ingredients and voila, breakfast is served.  Enjoy!


Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal
*Recipe from Oh She Glows

1 serving

1 large, very ripe banana, peeled and chopped

1 t. coconut oil

1/2 T. natural peanut butter

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2-1 t. chia seeds

1 C. almond milk

1 t. ground cinnamon

1/8 t. ground nutmeg

pinch of salt

1 t. vanilla

Toppings: 1/2 T. peanut butter, nuts, cinnamon, pure maple syrup

1. In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, cook the banana in oil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Stir in 1/2 tbsp peanut butter, and add the oats, chia, milk, spices, and a pinch of salt. Whisk well until combined.

3. Bring to a low boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, stirring often for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

4. Scoop into a bowl and top with peanut butter, nuts, cinnamon, and maple syrup.

A few notes:

*I mentioned above I knew I'd have all these ingredients on hand when I finally got around to trying it.  Bananas never go to waste at our house.  When they start getting too ripe to enjoy, just toss it in the freezer.  Sure, if you have time you can peel it and put it in a bag, but I've been known to just toss the entire thing in one of the side doors of the freezer.  They are perfect for smoothies and in this case, I pulled one out for my oatmeal.

*If you don't have chia seeds it's no big deal to leave them out.  They just add some nutrition if you keep them at your house.  (Since watching Hungry for Change I'm obsessed with chia seeds.)  

Breakfast Quinoa

I love quinoa.  It's so versatile, healthy, and extremely filling.  This is one of my favorite things to make for breakfast.  It comes from Jessica Seinfeld's book Double Delicious.

Her cookbooks (she has two) are all about sneaking healthy food into your meals so kids eat them.  Obviously, I purchased them because I like to try healthy things.  This was one of the first recipes I tried and it's a winner!  Plus, I usually always have the ingredients on hand so it's a great last minute breakfast when I'm wanting to switch it up.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1 tablespoon trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread (I use real butter)
1/2 cup sweet potato puree
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/3 cup light vanilla soy milk or nonfat (skim) milk
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup, divided for garnish
6 teaspoons chopped walnuts or almonds, divided for garnish

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa in cold water and strain.  (Check your quinoa package.  Some of them are pre rinsed and you can skip this step) Add the quinoa to the boiling water and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 12 minutes, uncovered. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes.

In a separate pot, melt the margarine. Stir in the sweet potato puree, 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup, soy milk, cinnamon and salt. When the quinoa has finished cooking, stir in the sweet potato mixture. Divide into bowls and top with a teaspoon each of maple syrup and nuts.

Nutritional information: Calories: 186, Carbohydrate: 30 g, protein: 5.5 g, total fat: 5 g, saturated fat: 0.5 g, sodium: 100 mg, fiber: 3g.

I just mash my sweet potato.  You can add water and use a mixer to really blend it up, but I'm not trying to hide anything so mashing it with a fork works just fine for me. 

 

Here is everything all stirred up waiting for the quinoa.

 

Quinoa stirred in.  It looks much prettier in person. 

 The recipe says it's for six servings.  That's just hilarious.  Unless you eat like Victoria Beckham, you'll get three servings out of this, not six.  (Which equals 372 calories-still a great, healthy start to the most important meal of the day)  I made this recipe tonight while dinner was in the oven and placed it in three to go containers and breakfast is served for the next few days!  All i have to do is microwave it and pour some more syrup on top.